SOfE is concerned with verbal and visual communication in describing and explaining technical subjects. It is also designed to promote interest in the art of communication. Competitors must give an oral presentation on a subject relating to mechanical engineering. The duration of the presentation must not exceed 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for discussion and questions from the judging panel.

90% of the total marks are given for presentation with only 10% for technical content. This ensures that while all presentations must have mechanical engineering content in its broadest sense (e.g. purpose, research, design, feasibility and practicality), a topic concerning comparatively ‘low’ technology has an equal chance of success as one which is technologically very complex.